Cantilever merchandise support

ABSTRACT

Supporting means of cantilever type designed to display articles for sale in a retail store. The invention contemplates a panel designed to be an improvement over the usual pegboard in that the holes are virtually invisible by reason of surface treatment of the panel and reduced size of the holes. The invention also contemplates special cantilever supporting bars having special attaching means locking them positively on an apertured panel, which may be that of the invention or a standard or other type of pegboard.

United States Patent Radek [54] CANTILEVER MERCHANDISE SUPPORT [72]Inventor: John R. Radelt, Hinsdale. I11.

[73] Assignee: Ready Metal Manufacturing 011., Chicago.

221 Filed: Sept. 17, 1970 2| Appl.No.: 73,026

[51] Int. Cl. ..A47I 7/00 [58] Field otSearch ..211/S9. 60. 87; 248/D1G.3. 248/225 [56] Relerences Clted UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,842,264 7/1958Larson ..206/65 3,315,816 4/1967 Mallory ....211/60 2,614,701 10/1952Mapson ....211/87 3,002,629 10/1961 Gersin ..211/35 51 July 18, 1972Nelson ..211/60 8/1965 Murray Bilodeau. OConnor...

Rendich Modrey ..287/189.36

Primary mminerNile C. Byers. Jr. Attorney-Frank H. Marks ABSTRACTSupporting means of cantilever type designed to display articles forsale in a retail store. The invention contemplates a panel designed tobe an improvement over the usual pegboard in that the holes arevirtually invisible by reason of surface treatment of the panel andreduced size of the holes. The invention also contemplates specialcantilever supporting bars having special attaching means locking thempositively on an apertured panel, which may be that of the invention ora standard or other type of pegboard.

SChlnmlODrawingflgures Patented July 18, 1972 3,677,415

2 Sheets-Shea t l N VF N TOE dzhrz P @002 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 pI/l Illll/lA/I/fl CANTILEVER MERCHANDISE SUPPORT My invention relates todisplay equipment especially suitable for showing articles in retailstores and the like, and has to do more particularly with equipment ofthis character designed for hanging small items such as hardware, etc.,on a generally vertical wall for quick attachment and removal.

My invention may be considered an improvement in the well known"pegboard" type of display which has long been employed for hanging anddisplaying articles of all sorts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Pegboards for a long time have had agenerally standard fonn, consisting of rigid sheeting formed of suitablematerial such as plywood, Masonite or other synthetic or composition"substance and provided with rows of regularly spaced holes for receptionof hooks on which articles may be hung. Such boards are supported in agenerally vertical plane by suitable props, and the holes are usuallystandardized to 3/l6- inch diameter.

Despite its wide use, such equipment is subject to a number of seriousobjections. For one thing, the hooks, while inexpensive and convenient,readily fall out of the holes when not bearing a weight, because of thelack of retaining or locking means.

For another thing, such equipment is lacking in esthetic attractiveness.Inasmuch as, under practically all circumstances, many of the holesremain unused while others are employed, they are starkly visible,marring the appearance of what might otherwise be a visually attractivedisplay.

BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE INVENTION An object of my invention is to providean improved display means in a vertical plane for a plurality ofrelatively small articles offered for sale in a "self-service or othershop. While especially suitable for small hardware items such as handtools, my invention is applicable to the support of a wide variety ofgoods of substantial weight and small sire.

Another object is to provide, in equipment of the type referred to, animproved panel or sheet having a number of novel and advantageousfeatures in combination.

Thus, my improved panel, while it may be formed of a variety ofmaterials, is preferably of relatively thin sheet metal such as steel oraluminum, reducing weight and cost, and provided with a decorativesurface so as to render the hookreceiving holes inconspicuous.

To enhance further the inconspicuousness of the holes, the latter aresubstantially reduced in diameter as compared to the 3/ 16-inch holescommonly employed in standard pegboard. Thus, the unoccupied holes are,for all practical purposes, normally invisible to casual inspection.

A further object of my invention is to provide a new and improvedarticle supporting hanger bar or bracket adapted for quick and easyattachment to and detachment from a perforated board or panel, which barhas special locking means cooperating with said panel, obviating itsaccidentally falling off the panel. My improved hangers may be used onmy improved panel and also in conjunction with standard or otherpegboards.

Still another object is to provide equipment of the type describedspecially designed for mass production and thus available in largequantities at low cost for chain stores, etc.

Various other objects and advantages will become apparent to thoseskilled in the art as the description proceeds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring now to the drawings forminga part of this specification and illustrating certain preferredembodiments of my invention.

FIG. I is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of wallboardcarrying several fonns of article-supporting bars or hooks (hereinafterfor brevity referred to as bars) constituting preferred embodiments ofmy invention;

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are fragmentary perspective views showing in detailseveral preferred forms of attaching means for the artide-supportingbars;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view, partly in elevation, takensubstantially along line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view, partly in elevation, takensubstantially along line 6-6 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view, partly in elevation, takensubstantially along line 77 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view, partly in elevation, takensubstantially along line 8-8 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view, with parts broken out foradded cleamess, showing an arrangement for supporting my improved panel,prior to attachment, and

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the parts seen in FIG.9 after attachment is completed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to FIG. I, my invention contemplates aspecial board or panel 10 to be used as a generally vertical supportingwall for articles to be displayed for sale, as aforesaid. Panel 10 maybe supported in any suitable manner by props, braces or stands, as inthe case of wall boards previously in use.

However, I have found that a most convenient arrangement for my purposescomprises a skeleton frame including posts P (FIGS. 9 and 10) of metaltubing of rectangular section having spaced slots S, commonly used forknockdown display equipment. Panel [0 is attached, as by welding, tosuitable hollow support bars B which likewise have vertically spacedslots S. Suitable hooks interengage slots S and s, whereby panel 10 ishung in cantilever fashion from horizontally spaced posts P.

Panel 10 may be formed of a wide variety of materials. A major feature,from the standpoint of my invention, is that holes 12, arranged in anydesired or convenient spacing and number, preferably in a regularpattern, are of a diameter substantially less than three-sixteenthsinch, the standard size of apertures formed in currently used pegboardto receive hooks of standard character formed of 3/ l 6-inch wire.

I have found that holes of the order of about three thirtyseconds inchor less, when viewed from a distance of a few yards, do not obtrude uponthe view of a person of normal vision and, hence for all practicalpurposes, may be said to be substantially invisible.

The invisibility" of holes 12 is thought to be due to a combination oftheir small size and arrangement on the board in a regular pattern. Theeffect of non-obtrusiveness is obtainable if the holes are arranged in arectangular or non-rectangular pattern, such as circular, spiral, etc.,it being a psychological axiom that attention normally is not distractedby a regular or monotonous pattern, where the elements (individual holesin this case) of the pattern are inconspicuous. The number and spacingof the holes is a matter of choice.

My preferred material for panel [0 is a relatively stiff sheet material,preferably sheet metal such as steel or aluminum. While [do not considerthe gauge or thickness critical, I find that sheet steel of a guagewithin the approximate range of 0.030 to 0.060 inch, depending upon loadrequirements, is suitable. Plywood, masonite, etc., may also be used.

To enhance the inconspicuousness of holes [2 and to add to theattractiveness of the display, I preferably impart to panel 10 adecorative surface 15 in any suitable pattern or design, inasmuch as avisible pattern serves to distract a viewer's attention from holes 12.The surface design may be applied to the sheet in any known or othersuitable manner.

For example, a coating or lamination of vinyl or other suitable plasticcoating may be applied in any suitable manner, as by spray or rollerapplication in fluid form or by adhesive application of sheet material.The pattern or design may be formed as by printing on the coated panelI0 or on an applied sheet prior to application.

Otherwise, a surface design may be produced directly on the sheet metalby anodizing or other chemical or mechanical modification of said sheetmaterial, without application of any surface coating. For example, platemay be of a type known as rigidized," which has had its surfacedeformed, as by a hard platen or roller, to impart a surface pattern ordesign. Other modes of deformation or other processes may suggestthemselves to those skilled in the art to impart a surface design orpattern.

The article supporting bars which l employ in combination with myimproved panel 10 are likewise believed to embody features of noveltyrepresenting marked advantages over the hooks previously used onpegboard to support articles, which hooks have a propensity to drop out.In contradistinction, my improved cantilever bars are designed to lockthemselves in place on the panel and cannot accidentally fall out of theholes but must be removed by deliberate manual action.

In general, my improved cantilever bars or brackets comprise a generallyhorizontally extending cantilever member, the outer end of which is freeand the inner end, adjacent panel 10, being secured to a device designedto be quickly attachable to and detachable from an apertured panel. Saidattachment device in general comprises spaced wires insertable in holesof the panel, said wires including a pair which are resilientlydistortable to enter a pair of said holes, so that, after insertion,said resilient wires will automatically tend to spring back towardnormal position and thus wedge or lock themselves in place.

Turning to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows several forms of cantilever barsembodying my invention and designed to support articles of differentshape, size and weight.

Thus, numeral represents a bar of simple fonn formed of wire or rodstock of suitable gauge, the free end 22 being slightly upturned toprevent a supported article from accidentally sliding off. The other endof bar 20 is bent at about a right angle to provide a depending foot 25which is secured in an expedient manner to a plate 30, preferably ofmetal. While numerous modes of attachment will suggest themselves tothose skilled in the art, I have found it most convenient to form onplate as by stamping a forwardly extending annular boss or ring 27 towhich foot 25 is attached, as by brazing or welding at vertically spacedpoints.

The top and bottom marginal portions of plate 30 are bent rearwardly(FIGS. 4 and 5) to provide overlying flanges 32 and 32, said flangesbeing deformed to provide generally vertical tunnels 35. Upper flange 32secures a generally U-shaped wire 37 the web portion 38 of whichunderlies flange 32 while the legs 39 pass through tunnels 35, abovewhich the legs 39 are offset backwardly. Thus, legs 39 of wire 37 areinsertable by a simple manual operation in a pair of horizontally spacedholes of panel 10.

Secured by lower flange 32 is a locking wire 37'. This element, whilegenerally U-shaped and retained by flange 32' similarly to upper wire32, differs from the latter in the following respects. Wire 37', whileof about the same gauge as wire 37, to be receivable in the holes ofpanel 10, is of resilient stock (upper wire 37 need not be). Legportions 39 may be spread at a slight angle to converge or diverge andmay also be crimped instead of being straight like upper wire 37, asseen clearly in FIGS. 4 and 7.

It will be apparent that, to attach plate 30 and the cantilever barcarried thereby to panel I0, legs 39 must be manually squeezed towardapproximate parallelism to insert them into a pair of horizontallyspaced holes and then pushed in, whereupen the legs tend to spring backto their normally angled relation, becoming wedged and locked in theholes. Thus, the bracket is secure against accidental loosening ordropping out and off the panel, whether carrying a load or not. Positiveforce must be applied in order to remove or reposition a bar, with myinvention.

Obviously, it makes no difference whether legs 39 normally converge ordiverge, as long as they are slightly non-alined and resilient, thusproducing a firm, resiliently wedging action when inserted in the holes.

Bar 20a (FIGS. 1 and 2) is generally similar to the construction justdescribed, with certain modifications designed to accommodate heavierloads. Thus, the rod stock employed is of heavier gauge, while itssupport is more rugged. A larger plate 5 30a is employed, the footportion 250 being secured to a pair of vertically spaced annular bosses27a, 27a in an otherwise similar manner to bar 20.

Also, as seen in FIG. 2, for greater support on the panel, plate 300 isprovided at the top with more than two (in this case three) spaced books39 as in the embodiment of FIG. 4. The number may be increased toprovide the desired strength, while the lower attaching wire 39,39 maybe similar to that of FIG. 4, being crimped, as seen clearly in FIGS. 4and 7, and resilient.

Cantilever bar 20b (FIG. I) represents another form of support or hangerfor displaying other types of articles. This bar is generally U-shaped,formed of a single rod of suitable gauge with its outer free endpreferably bent upwardly to provide a stop or hook. The inner ends ofthe rod are bent downwardly to provide feet 42 which are secured toplate 30!) similarly to the embodiment of FIG. 4, this plate beingotherwise adapted to be detachably mounted on panel III in a mannersimilar to plate 30 described hereabove.

Bar 20c (FIGS. 1 and 3) is still another form of cantilever supportdesigned to carry non-slidably one or a plurality of articles ofsubstantial bulk and weight. This hanger may be formed of one or two (inthe embodiment shown) plates 45, 45 arranged in parallel verticalplanes, the upper edges being serrated to prevent sliding of articlessupported thereon. The ends of these plates are bent normally to formoverlying flanges 47 which are secured together in any suitable manner,as by screws, rivets, brazing, etc.

The bar or bracket 20c is attached to a plate 30c in any suitablemanner, as by screws 50, 50' (FIG. 3) spaced vertically on plate 30c,lower screw 50' being ridable in an arcuate slot 55 formed in the plate,whereby hanger 20c may be angled if desired.

It will be seen that l have provided a new and improved cantileverhanger adapted to support a wide variety of articles on an aperturedpanel of any type, including the standard pegboard presently employed ormy improved panel described hereabove. The article supporting bars,which may take a variety of forms to suit the character of goods to bedisplayed, may be quickly and easily mounted on the board, as describedabove, whereupon they automatically lock themselves securely in placeand remain so whether free or loaded. Thereafter, they are readilyremoved by application of moderate manual force, as described.

Various changes coming within the spirit of my invention may suggestthemselves to those skilled in the art. Hence, I do not wish to belimited to the specific forms shown or uses mentioned except to theextent indicated in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

I. A construction for displaying articles on a substantially verticalsupport, comprising in combination a. a panel having a plurality ofsmall apertures of the order of about three thirty-seconds inches indiameter,

b. means for supporting said panel in a substantially vertical plane,

c. the exposed surface of said panel bearing a pattern tending todistract attention from said apertures, and which in consequence oftheir small size render them virtually invisible, and

d. an article supporting cantilever bar detachably mounted on saidpanel, said bar having e. resilient tenuous means insertable in saidapertures and frictionally engageable with the walls thereof, so as tolock itself automatically therein.

2. A device as set forth in claim I, wherein the panel is formed ofsheet metal with the pattern impressed in the exposed surface thereof.

3. An article supporting cantilever-type hanger adapted for detachableengagement with an apertured supporting panel comprising a. a bar,

b. a plate fixed to said bar in a plane generally normal thereto,

c. separate U-shaped tenuous elements connected to the upper and lowerportions of said plate for detachable engagement with the apertures inthe supporting panel,

d. the tenuous element connected to the upper portion of said plateterminating in prongs extending inwardly and upwardly beyond the upperedge of said plate, and

e. the tenuous element connected to the lower portion of said plateterminating in prongs of limited flexibility and extending transverselytherefrom in directions slightly out of parallelism with each other toenhance their frictional engagement with the walls of the apertures inwhich they are inserted, to inhibit accidental displacement of thehanger from said panel.

4. A device as set forth in claim 3, wherein said last-mentioned prongsare deformed from straight lines to enhance their frictional engagementwith the apertures in the panel.

5. An article supporting hanger of cantilever type comprising a. a bar,

b. a plate fixed to said bar in a plane generally normal thereto withthe upper and lower marginal portions of said plate bent over to formoverlying flanges,

c. means for detachably connecting said bar and plate to a generallyupright apertured panel, comprising vertically spaced tenuous elementsinsertable into apertures of said panel in a manner to inhibitaccidental displacement of the hanger,

d. said tenuous elements comprising a pair of prongs projecting freelybeyond the limits of said plate from the upper and lower portionsthereof, respectively, with each pair being generally U-shaped andretained on the plate by embracement of said flanges,

e. the upper prongs extending inwardly and upwardly while f. the lowerprongs are resilient, deformed from straight lines, and vary slightlyfrom the parallel so as to enhance their frictional engagement with thewalls of the apertures in which they are inserted to serve as yieldablelocks therein.

# i I i

1. A construction for displaying articles on a substantially vertical support, comprising in combination a. a panel having a plurality of small apertures of the order of about three thirty-seconds inches in diameter, b. means for supporting said panel in a substantially vertical plane, c. the exposed surface of said panel bearing a pattern tending to distract attention from said apertures, and which in consequence of their small size render them virtually invisible, and d. an article supporting cantilever bar detachably mounted on said panel, said bar having e. resilient tenuous means insertable in said apertures and frictionally engageable with the walls thereof, so as to lock itself automatically therein.
 2. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the panel is formed of sheet metal with the pattern impressed in the exposed surface thereof.
 3. An article supporting cantilever-type hanger adapted for detachable engagement with an apertured supporting panel comprising a. a bar, b. a plate fixed to said bar in a plane generally normal thereto, c. separate U-shaped tenuous elements connected to the upper and lower portions of said plate for detachable engagement with the apertures in the supporting panel, d. the tenuous element connected to the upper portion of said plate terminating in prongs extending inwardly and upwardly beyond the upper edge of said plate, and e. the tenuous element connected to the lower portion of said plate terminating in prongs of limited flexibility and extending transversely therefrom in directions slightly out of parallelism with each other to enhance their frictional engagement with the walls of the apertures in which they are inserted, to inhibit accidental displacement of the hanger from said panel.
 4. A device as set forth in claim 3, wherein said last-mentioned prongs are deformed from straight lines to enhance their frictional engagement with the apertures in the panel.
 5. An article supporting hanger of cantilever type comprising a. a bar, b. a plate fixed to said bar in a plane generally normal thereto with the upper and lower marginal portions of said plate bent over to form overlying flanges, c. means for detachably connecting said bar and plate to a generally upright apertured panel, comprising vertically spaced tenuous elements insertable into apertures of said panel in a manner to inhibit accidental displacement of the hanger, d. said tenuous elements comprising a pair of prongs projecting freely beyond the limits of said plate from the upper and lower portions thereof, respectively, with each pair being generally U-shaped and retained on the plate by embracement of said flanges, e. the upper prongs extending inwardly and upwardly while f. the lower prongs are resilient, deformed from straight lines, and vary slightly from the parallel so as to enhance their frictional engagement with the walls of the apertures in which they are inserted to serve as yieldable locks therein. 